Discussion: Justice for a Rape Victim
A crime is an action committed that is illegal and punishable by law. Major causes of crimes are poverty, drugs, unemployment, and politics. There are various ways in which crimes can be conducted, including but not limited to; arson, burglary, child and domestic abuse, fraud, and cybercrime. The outcomes of crimes are insecurity, social disorder, lack of collaboration and trust, and poor economic development. It is necessary to avoid circumstances that lead to corruption to prevent the disruption of order in society. People are charged with a misdemeanor or felony when caught in a crime. Felonies are considered more serious crimes and carry long jail terms and high penalties.
Convicted felons are punished by sentences ranging from a minimum of one year or more, to life imprisonment and in some instances capital punishment or death sentence. Crimes that involve violence are mostly regarded as felonies. Such crimes are murder, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery with violence. One of the most rampant among these crimes is rape. Incidences of reported rape have increased since the 1970s, and convictions of rape remain frustratingly low (Hogan, 2022). Rape is a sexual assault involves sexual intercourse carried out against a person without consent. Possible causes of rape include indecent dressing by women, drug abuse by men, lax laws against rapists, and the culture of silence by victims to avoid social stigma (Njideka, 2020). Authorities should therefore formulate a legal framework to control rape incidents in society.
On the 20th of July 2020, a woman went to a police station uptown to report that her daughter, Maureen, had been raped. The lady said that her daughter had come home crying after being several hours late from when she had been sent to get groceries from the market. Immediately the police took charge, and Maureen was taken to the hospital for a checkup and treatment where necessary. Maureen had identified the rapist as Michael, one of the men commonly found drinking in bars during the daytime. It was easier to bring the matter to court for a trial because the suspect was already known.
The police investigated and visited the crime scene to ascertain that Maureen was telling the truth. The police discovered patches of blood and torn jeans that belonged to someone other than Maureen. Furthermore, Maureen’s body was bruised, and her wrists were red, indicating that she had struggled with her attacker. In such a case, the police will collect evidence, identify and prioritize suspects, carry out interviews and ultimately, the suspects are charged in court (Deslauriers-Varin & Fortin, 2021). The evidence gathered at the crime scene and the bruises on Maureen’s body were enough to warrant an arrest for Michael, and the police proceeded to arrest Michael.
After the arrest, Michael is released without prosecution and is charged with sexual assault. During the initial appearance in court, Michael pleads not guilty and is again released without prosecution, which leads to a requirement for further investigation. Michael appears in court again for a preliminary hearing and is released on bail. He clearly has committed a felony, and the grand jury refused to indict him. Crimes concerning children as victims are a concern to the public and the criminal justice system (Zakirova, 2018). This calls for the prosecution to gather more information and present further evidence for their case to become stronger. It is here that the state attorney produces photographs of the crime scene. The prosecutor also provided DNA samples from the hospital that proved that Michael was guilty.
Michael is arraigned in court again for another trial and is now convicted of having committed a felony. Michael is sentenced to sixteen years in prison, considering that all evidence proved that he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Rape is a felony, and the accused has to go through the criminal justice system for the victim to attain justice. It is with such law enforcement that such crimes reduce dramatically, creating a safer society for the existence of all.
References
Deslauriers-Varin, N., & Fortin, F. (2021). Improving efficiency and understanding of criminal investigations: Toward an evidence-based approach. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 36(4), 635–638.
Hogan, J. (2021). Anatomy of a rape: Sexual violence and secondary victimization scripts in U.S. film and television, 1959–2019. Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal, 18(2), 203–222.
Njideka, N. C. (2020). The menace of rape in the present-day Nigerian society and the effect on its victims: The way forward. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Zakirova, E. B. (2018). Is it rational or not: When innocents plead guilty in child sex abuse cases. Albany Law Review, 82, 815.